The Angel Maker by Alex North

Alan Hobbes is a distinguished philosophy professor who has been brutally murdered just hours after firing his staff. He knew he was going to be murdered because everything that happens in life is preordained. After all, he has spent his life lecturing on determinism.

As he awaits death, he thinks about the three people whose journeys are linked to his-journeys that will continue the day after he is gone.

First, is Katie Shaw, presently cooking dinner for her family and worrying about her marriage and her daughter. Secondly, is Detective Laurence Page, who is listening to classical music, and doesn’t know that he will be working the Hobbes case when he wakes up in the morning. Finally, Christopher Shaw-Katie’s brother. The last time she saw him he was still struggling with addiction, and he stole money from her purse.

What I enjoyed about the story is how these people's lives cross path in the death of Alan. You have to pay attention cause following who is who can be confusing at times but beyond that it was a really good thriller.

Narrated by Rosalie Craig did fine giving voice to the characters. I recommend this book if you like complex evil characters type of thrillers. It was a four star read for me.

Thank you to Netgalley and Macmillan audio for a free copy of The Angel Maker for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions I expressed in this review are my own.

I don’t even know where to start. Ultimately I enjoyed the story. But here are some thoughts:

1. There are a lot of characters to keep track of, especially on audio. I think it would have been easier with a physical copy to flip back to previous sections and keep track of who is who.

2.I Definitely wanted to keep listening- partially due to intense storylines but partially because I was confused and trying to keep listening to figure out what was happening.

3. There were a lot of Unanswered questions. Maybe I just missed the answers because of the audio but things I felt like were important to the story are just left dangling. I can go into detail but… spoilers.

Ultimately I think it was fun how everything came together and it was very deep- but also too deep for me because I am still very confused about a lot of things. But that maybe was just a me thing because I listened to the audiobook. In terms of Alex North books- I think The Angel Maker is better than The Shadows but more complicated/confusing than The Whisper Man .

Alex North takes on the fate versus free will debate in this dark and creepy thriller set in the English countryside. With the exception of that one day as a teenager she chose to go with her boyfriend instead of walking her brother, Chris, home, Katie Shaw has always done the right thing. Years later, she still struggles with the guilt of what happened that day and with the worry that the next threat is around the corner. When her brother goes missing and other things feel off, Katie cannot help but wonder if there is someone out there coming for her and her family.

Detective Laurence Page has been called to investigate the violent murder of a professor, and the more he digs into this current case, the more he sees connections to cases from the past.

Told through multiple points-of-view and scenes from both the past and the present, the story is woven together piece-by-hackles-raising-piece, revealing how the events and characters in the story are intertwined.

I listened to the audiobook version. Rosalie Craig’s narration and pacing are excellent, and I had no trouble keeping track of the different points-of-view. I highly recommend listening to this one on audio but will add the caveat that, with some of the details and the large cast of characters, early on I did find myself occasionally wishing I had a print version to flip through to help keep track of character names and context.

Whether you choose to read the print version or listen to the audiobook, The Angel Maker is sure to raise the hairs on the backs of your arms, make you double check the locks on your doors, and close your curtains at night.

I received an advance copy from Macmillan Audio and NetGalley. All review opinions are my own.

Thank you @CeladonBooks and @netgalley for the gifted arc in exchange for an honest review. This is my second book by Alex North. I loved The Whisper Man so I was very excited when I heard about The Angel Maker. I love atmospheric Mystery/Thriller books about serial killers and detectives trying to solve the case. This book did not disappoint.

I loved the pacing and the characters. I had no problem following all the different POV's. I also loved how dark the book was.

I thought the narrator did an amazing job bringing this book to life. I couldn't stop listening to it.

I don’t know what it was but I haven’t struggled this hard with a book in a long time. I spend a good majority of it trying to figure out what was even happening. I think because the audiobook didn’t really differentiate the characters in any way, and it didn’t acknowledge any times where they were discussing different periods of time. So I feel like I spent a good chunk of time trying to figure out whose POV I was reading from at the start of each chapter.
I loved the idea of the plot, it wasn’t executed super well in my opinion. It felt like there was a lot going on. I was left with a lot of unanswered questions by the end. I enjoyed the dynamic between the siblings. I wanted to see how they ended up and it’s honestly what kept me reading.
I recommend If you pick this one up to read the ebook or physical. It’s a good choice if you enjoy books that have serial killers, multiple pov, police procedures, with a little sprinkling of paranormal. I just don’t think this was the book for me.

I received an ARC audiobook of this title from the publisher through NetGalley.

An interesting mystery/thriller with excellent narration, this kept the listener guessing..

I'm a fan of Alex North, so I was thrilled when I was approved for the audio ARC of his latest Thriller, The Angel Maker! Overall, this is a fantastic story with a large cast of characters. I do think it could have used more editing. I struggled to keep track of the timeline, which jumped around a lot, and I found I had to back up and relisten to many, many section to try to figure out if the events being described were happening currently or were in the past, because most of the time there was no indication of a change in the timeline and you were left to using context to figure it out. Very, very confusing for me. I kept thinking if I had the physical book, this would have been much easier with the ability to bookmark, flip back and forth, make notes on the pages, etc. Same with some of the characters that I initially would get confused (2 of the characters' names changed at one point in the story, then with the jumps in the timeline, it was hard to keep track of who was who). Other than all of those issues though, I really did thoroughly enjoy the plot and storyline. Once it was over and I had a bit to sit with it for a minute, and think back on how everything worked out and the sequence of events (in chronological order, not the order it was written), it was genius. Had I read the physical book instead of listening to the audiobook, I might not have been so confused. The narrator was great. And I will continue to read everything Alex North writes! 3.5 stars rounded down to 3.

I was really looking forward to reading this book and I was confused majority of the time. There were several points of views, storylines and scenes switched from past to present. In my humble opinion books like these are hard to follow via audiobook. I feel like I got the gist of things towards the end, but I'm still confused when it comes to Chris and how he ties into everything. The narrator for this audiobook was awesome and the main reason I continued to listen even though I was very confused.

It was a great way to spend my Saturday afternoon. I found the story interesting and fast paced once I hit the halfway mark. There were many characters that were intertwined in this story so you definitely need to keep close attention. I really enjoyed this book and finished reading it on the weekend.

Bummer. A suspenseful thriller with supernatural vibes, and I thought I'd love it.

It just so happens that a tragedy occurs when Katie Shaw decides to go with her boyfriend Sam and let her younger brother Chris walk home alone. Now, adults, the siblings grew apart. Katie is married and has a 5-year-old daughter Sienna. Chris is/was an addict who runs into trouble and is currently missing.

A retired philosophy professor Alan Hobbes is peculiar. He brings the determinism aspect into the plot. I find this part fascinating. He died in a brutal murder early in the story but did he know this event in advance? Two detectives are investigating the case.

It pains me to give this novel three stars. I read the sample chapters 1-7 and really enjoyed them. When I read "The Whisper Man" a few years back, I felt it wasn't for me but still want to give Alex North another try, I don't think I get his novels as other readers do. I like his concept but I couldn't connect with his big cast of characters. I eventually felt lost and bored.

Even though I didn't enjoy this as much as I initially anticipated, the ending and the audiobook are both excellent. It's still worth a read if you like this author or want a dark and eerie story.

I liked this one but I thought that it could be hard to follow at times. After quickly getting lost while listening to the audiobook, I decided to start over and listen to the book while following along in my print copy which worked very well for me. There are a lot of characters and quite a few flashbacks to an earlier time so it is a lot to keep straight. I did enjoy the book quite a bit and was eager to see how everything would be connected.

The book opens a few years in the past with Katie telling her brother to walk home by himself so she could hang out with her boyfriend. When she gets home, her brother has been attacked and his life will soon spiral out of control. Then we meet Detective Laurence Page as he begins to investigate the murder of an older man which raises a lot of questions. Katie will do whatever it takes to keep her brother safe while the detective is determined to find out what really happened.

I believe that this is the first time that I have had the chance to listen to Rosalie Craig’s narration and I thought that she did a great job with the story. I found her voice to be very pleasant and easy to listen to for long periods of time. Even though I thought that the narrator did a good job with the story, I believe that this is one that might be best read in another format due to the complexity of the story.

I would recommend this book to others. Once I got into the story, I was hooked. I found the story to be incredibly interesting and exciting. I couldn’t wait to see how everything would turn out in the end. I look forward to reading more of Alex North’s work in the future.

I received a review copy of this book from Celadon Books and Macmillan Audio.

Such a great author. This is kind of a slow burn.
A little slower pacing than his other books. I’ll be rereading it in print via audio

Thanks netgalley

DNF - 56%

Yeah I just can’t do this. I have no idea whats going on nor do I really care. The formatting of this book is so odd and the time jumps kept confusing me. I loved Alex North’s other books but this book feels like something I’ve read 10x before by other authors. I can already predict the ending so to be honest I just have no care in finishing.

The audiobook was just as confusing, so take with that what you will. I did read an ARC, so maybe adding some time/date stamps in the final print would be useful since everyone is super confused?

**Thank you to the publisher for providing me with a review copy!

Thank you @celadonbooks and @netgalley for my complimentary digital copy AND audiobook! I was thrilled to receive these and my thoughts are my own.

I have been waiting for this book for the last year and I was so excited to finally read it! For my friends who want to read a book with a creepy storyline and a few grisly murders, this one is for you!

This book opens up with a murder that will give you cold chills! But there is a conundrum too. It’s almost as if the victim, a popular college professor, KNEW he was going to be murdered!

Meanwhile, in a seemingly unrelated case, Katie Shaw’s brother is missing. As she searches for him she begins to feel she is being watched and she fears her family is in danger.

As Detective Laurence Page investigates the murder of the professor, he finds ties to an old case and a dead serial killer from the past…one who claimed to be able to see the future!

All of these cases tie together and lead to a dramatic conclusion!

MY THOUGHTS: This is a complex story, with multiple characters and switching timelines. I started with the audiobook but switched to the print version. For me, the print version was easier to follow and allowed me to pick up on the intricacies of the mystery…things I may have missed if I wasn’t totally focused on the audio version. Read this if you enjoy complex dark thrillers!

I received both the ebook and audiobook for The Angel Maker - and I truly enjoyed listening along to this story. The narrator is perfect and the pace of her reading felt very true to the words.

The Angel Maker - a prolific serial killer from the past known for their deprave crimes - left a legacy written in paper and blood. Both, forgotten - and time passes. But both the book left behind and the boys who survived will lead a tale that is intricately woven into the lives of the Shaw family. Katie and Chris Shaw are siblings - haunted by the day Chris is attacked and severely injured while Katie, just once, lets him out of her sight. But the Shaw siblings’ tale is preordained - in a book, in blood, and in the actions of those they’ve yet to meet.

Alex North is a master at taking timelines and characters and making them so intricately woven that a reader just has to stop and appreciate what’s been written for them. The end of this book blew my mind - it’s a perfectly wrapped up story, with all the minor details coming together at the penultimate chapters. The cast of characters in this book is loaded with nuance and layers - reading each part of the book peeled back more and more until the essence of each is laid bare. This was my first Alex North and I know I’ll be going back to read his prior work.

If you’re looking for a gritty, quick crime story - this is not your book. But if you’re looking for a tale of crime so artfully designed and laid out that the journey is just as important as the motive, definitely checkout this one today.

I know that Alex North has many popular books out, like The Whisper Man and The Shadows, but I never read them.

Synopsis:
Growing up in a beautiful house in the English countryside, Katie Shaw lived a charmed life. At the cusp of graduation, she had big dreams, a devoted boyfriend, and a little brother she protected fiercely. Until the day a violent stranger changed the fate of her family forever.

Years later, still unable to live down the guilt surrounding what happened to her brother, Chris, and now with a child of her own to protect, Katie struggles to separate the real threats from the imagined.

Then she gets the phone call: Chris has gone missing and needs his big sister once more.

Meanwhile, Detective Laurence Page is facing a particularly gruesome crime. A distinguished professor of fate and free will has been brutally murdered just hours after firing his staff. All the leads point back to two old cases: the gruesome attack on teenager Christopher Shaw, and the despicable crimes of a notorious serial killer who, legend had it, could see the future.

Thoughts:
The Angle Maker starts off with an explosive beginning but then slows down considerably.

I think with that beginning it was hard to get into the middle because it was a little slower but I also expect that from a thriller.

Many, many twists and turns.

By the time I finished this one I was just confused and didn’t connect with characters as much as I wanted to.

Three stars for me. After I finished I forgot to write my review right away and forgot about a lot of details. Yikes! I am sure others will enjoy this one more. The audiobook was a nice edition though if you are into audiobooks.

After loving The Whisper Man and The Shadows, I had high hopes for this one. It fell short of those two novels, and I think the main reason is because I found it to be fairly confusing. I had a hard time getting into the book and had a difficult time following the plot. Maybe it was just me!

I thoroughly enjoyed The Whisper Man and The Shadows, so I was very excited to receive an audio ARC of The Angel Maker by Alex North. As usual Alex North delivers a compelling thriller and I was on the edge of my seat for majority of it. I normally don't prefer dual timelines in stories, but it really helped demonstrate the fate vs. free choice, and it was incredibly interesting with how the story played out.

The only difficulty I had was listening to the multiple POVs. I feel like if I had the book in front of me, it would have been a lot easier to keep the stories straight.

I personally think Rosalie Craig was the perfect choice to narrate this story. Rosalie’s voice was incredibly pleasant to listen to and I would love to hear her voice again on any audio book!

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for a copy of this audio book!

A propulsive, dual timeline thriller that kept me on the edge of my seat. I enjoyed the brother-sister relationship and the serial killer angle. The narrator wasn't my favorite though. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early audio copy in exchange for my honest review!

As usual with Alex North books, I am CONFUSED for most of it. But contrary to my usual experiences, I actually enjoyed the confusion this time around. It helped that the real action started within the first few pages, but I really enjoyed the focus on the future as a theme. Would you truly want to know what would happen, especially if it meant you couldn't stop it? The narrator did an amazing job contrasting the dark themes with her light and concise voice, but still added so much drama to the story. Plus the entire idea of controlling your own fate mixed with the tales of a serial killer is just so delectable. I think I would've enjoyed it more on paper, but it's still a super fun and gruesome thriller.

*Thank you to Celadon and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for my honest review*